Needle-threader.



Patented Ian. 9. |900.

V. KBLER.

NEEDLE THREADER.

(Application filed Mar. 1, 1899.)

(No Model.)

Kaye/gn' Ww M IINTTED STATES PATENT OTTTCE.

VICTOR KOBLER, OF RORSOHAOH, SWITZERLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE FIRM OF ADOLPI-I SAURER, OF ARBON, SWITZERLAND.

NEEDLE-.TH READER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 640,919, dated January 9, 1900..

Application filed March 1, 1899.

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, VICTOR KOBLER, a citi-` zen of the Republic of Switzerland, and a resident of Rorschach, Switzerland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Threading the Needles of Shuttle Embroidering-Machines During the Operation of the Embroidering-Machine, (for which I have applied for a patent in the following countries: in Switzerland on the 23d of January, 1899, No. 20,264; in France on the 28th of January, 1899, No. 273,298; in Germany on the 30th of January, 1899, No. 12,153; in Austria on the 30th of January, 1899; and in Great Britain on the 4th of February, 1899,-No. 2,583,) of which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to needle-threaders, and more particularly to threaders for threading the needles of embroidering-machines.

The operation of threading the needles of embroidering-machines by hand is, as is well known, not only more or less tedious and difiicult, but involves considerable loss of time, since the machine has to be stopped whenever a thread breaks or gives out.

This invention has for its object a needlethreader organized to thread the needles of an embroidering-machine while said needles are in motion, so that the necessity of stopping the operation of the machine is avoided.

In order to facilitate the threading of needles such as referred to, I preferably use a needle having a thread-guide groove extending from a point forward of the eye into the enlarged shank thereof, so that the threader may be applied to that part of the shank projecting from the needle-bar to which said shank is clamped, said thread-guide groove being of substantially uniform depth from the forward end of the eye to or nearly to the terminal of said groove in the shank, as fully described in my application for patent filed July 24,1899, Serial No. 725,013; but that my invention may be fully understood I will describe the same in detail, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Figs. 2 and 3 front elevations, showing the operative parts Serial No. 707,388. (No model.)

in different positions, the rod a being shown partly in section in Fig. 2 and partly broken away in said iigure and in Fig. 3.

My improved threader comprises a stock or holder formed of a substantially cylindrical part c and a substantially rectangular part e, in the lower end of which is formed a tubular bearing, said lower end being partly split longitudinally and provided with two ears e, having screw -threaded perforations for a clamping screw 0o, by means of `which a -threader guide-bar a, hereinafter called the threader-guide, is secured in said bearing.

The lower portion of the threader-guide a is bored out and contains a pin b, which slides freely in said bar, its movements being limited by a screw-pin 7o, projecting into a longitudinal groove in said pin. The lower end of the threader-guide a is bifurcated and made to iiare outwardly by the upper end of the bifurcated portion being suiiiciently wide so that said guide may straddle the shank of a needle of an embroidering-machin e. In the front portion of the threader-guide a, in a plane at right angles to its bifurcated end and substantially in line with the inner end of said bifurcated portion, is formed an opening a', from which leads a horizontal slot a2, that connects the said opening with said bifurcated end, and diametrically opposite said opening a' the bifurcated end is slotted vertically, as shown at a3, Figs. 2 and 3, wherein said bifurcated end is partly broken away to show said slot.

The rectangular part e of the stock or holder is slotted transversely, as shown at g, Fig. 1, and in the side of said part e in a plane at right angles to said slot g is a second slot r. A threader-lever 7L is fulcrumed on a pin t' in the slot g, the upper end of which lever has a segmental or angular slot 7L', into which projects a pin n, extending into the slot r', which servesas a guide therefore. The pin n is secured t'o a rod q, sliding freely in the bore of the cylindrical part c of the stock or holder, said rod being acted upon by a spring 0, seated in said bore below said rod q, which latter has a radial arm terminating in knob p, said arm working in a guide-slot s in said cylindrical part c of the holder, from the side IOO of which projects a finger-piece or handle d, provided with an eye d and a finger-rest cl2 for conveniently grasping the holder and operating the rod q with the thumb.

It is obvious that in a normal position of the lever h and rod q-that is to say, when the latter is at the limit of its upward or outward motion under the stress of its spring o, with the arm of the knob p at the upper end of the guide-slot s and the actuating-pin n in the upper end of the slot h in the threader-lever h-the lower end of the latter will be at the limit of its motion away from the vertical slot asin the bifurcated end of threader-guide a. By depressing the rod q against the stress of its spring o the lever h will be moved toward the threader-guide a, and when the pin n lies midway of the segmental or angular slot in said lever h the latter will have reached the limit of its movement toward its guiderod a, and the lower end of said lever will lie quite close to said rod, said lever being bent, as shown at h2 and h3, so as to lie parallel with the holder and rod when in theposition last referred to. Furthermore, if the rod q is now moved inwardly to the full length of the slot s the threader-lever will again be moved to the limit of its motion away from its guide-rod a, so that at each movement of the rod q in one or the other direction the threader-lever will be moved toward and from its guide-rod a. The last-named lever carries the threader proper, which is preferably a thin -iiat blade j, secured to the lever h by a set-screw in line with the upper end of the slot asand with the openin g a2 in the threadeil guide-rod a.

As hereinbefore stated, the pin h in the bifurcated end of the threader-guide has free motion, the amplitude of which is such that when the holder is held in a vertical position the said pin will cover the opening a?.

In threadinga needle the holder is inverted, so that the pin h will be out of the way of the threaderblade j, the middle finger being passed through the eye d on holder-handle, the forefinger resting on the eye, and the third finger on the rest cl2, with the thumb on knob p. The latter is then acted upon by the thumb to move the rod q against the stress of its spring until the actuating-pin lies in the lower part of the slot h in threaderlever h, whereby said lever, as above explained, was first moved toward its guide to lthe full extent, with the threader-blade projecting from the opening a2, and again moved away from the said lever with the threaderblade out of the guide. The rod q is now held in this position with its actuating-spring under full tension, and the thread is passed over the end of the threading-blade j, which end is bifurcated ornotched for the purpose of better retaining the thread. The holder is now reversed, causing the pin h to drop and block the passage of the threader-blade through its guide, when the knob p is released, so that under the stress of its spring q the threadingblade] will be moved through slot a2 against the pin' b as an abutment, the threader being now what I may term cocked, the pin b acting both as trigger and detent while the thread is held against displacement between the end of the threading-blade and said pin. If the threa'der-guidea is now placed astride the shank of a moving needle with the threading-bladej in line with the thread-guide groove in said needle, the pin b will be lifted, releasing the said blade j, which will now hold the thread against the inner wall of said guidegroove until the needle-eye comes in line with said blade j, which will then under the stress of the spring o on rod q be shot through the said eye and out of it again, this reciprocating motion being a very rapid one, thereby leaving the thread-loop in the needle-eye. The threader may then be removed, the threadloop being drawn out of it by the needle through the horizontal slot a2.

Although I have described myinvention as designed for use in threading needles of embroidering-machines, it is obvious that it may y be used for threading sewing-needles generally.

It is obvious that the detent-pin h may be rigidly secured to the holder and a bifurcated sleeve constructed, as described, connected by a screw-pin, as V7s, fixed to said pin b, and extending through aslot in the said bifurcated sleeve, the latter then performing the function of guide and detent. In this arrangement the upper end of the vertical slot as and opening a in the bifurcated sleeve are so located that when the said sleeve is in its lowermost position the threader-bladej will be out of register but in line with saidy slot and opening, but when the threader is placed upon a needle the bifurcated sleeve is moved upwardly sufficiently to bring the threaderblade into register with the upper end of said slot and with the opening.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A needle-threader comprisinga threaderguideconstructed to be placed astride upon a needle, and havinga passage therethrough for the threading device, a lever, a threading device in the form of a blade secured to said lever in line with the passage through the aforesaid guide, means for vibrating said lever, means for preventing the threader-blade from passing through its guide and means for opening the passage through the latter, for said threader when its said guide is placed astride upon a needle, for the purpose set forth.

2. A needle-threader comprising a threaderguide constructed to be placed astride upon a needle and provided with a passage therethrough for the threading device, and a movable abutment in said guide normally obstructing the aforesaid passage; in combination with a lever carrying the threading device in the form of a blade adapted to pass IIO through the eye of a needle in line with the passage through its guide, and means for vibrating the 1ever,vvhereby When said threaderguide is placed astride upon a needle the abutment in said guide is moved to clear the passage therethrough, for the purpose set forth.

3. A needle-threader comprising a threaderguide constructed to be placed astride upon a needle and having a passage therethrough for the threading device, and a movable abutment in said guide normally obstructing said passage but moving clear of the same when said guide is placed astride upon a needle, in combination with a spring-vibrated lever, a threading device in the form of a blade adapted to pass through the eye of aneedle, secured to said lever in line with the passage in the threader-guide, for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination with a holder, the threader-guide a secured thereto, and the threader-lever h fulerurned to the holder intermediate of its end and provided with the slot h; of the spring-controlled rod q earry ing a pin projecting into the aforesaid slot h', and means for moving said rod q against the stressl of its spring, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two Witnesses.

VICTOR KOBLER.

Witnesses:

MORITZ VEITH, A. LIEBERKNECHT. 

